Manning River Helmeted Turtle, Purvis' Turtle - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Myuchelys purvisi

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Endangered

Gazetted date: 28 Apr 2017

Profile last updated: 25 Feb 2024

Description

A medium sized, short-necked freshwater turtle. It is brown above, but is usually quite bright yellow below, except in large older individuals. Usually a distinct yellow stripe from the angle of the jaws, especially in the young, while the underside of the tail has distinctive yellow markings. For a detailed description see Cann (1998), Cogger (2014) and Cann et al. (2015). The species was previously known as Elseya purvisi, E. latisternum and is referred to as Wollumbinia purvisi in some publications.

- Cann J (1998) 'Australian freshwater turtles.' (Beaumont Publishing: Singapore).

- Cann J, Spencer R-J, Welsh M, Georges A (2015) Myuchelys georgesi (Cann 1997) - Bellinger River Turtle. Chelonian Conservation Monographs 5, 091.1-9.

- Cogger HG (2014) 'Reptiles and amphibians of Australia. 7th edition.' (CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood).

Distribution

Endemic to the middle and upper reaches of the Manning River catchment area. It has been recorded from the Barnard, Barrington, Cooplacurripa, Gloucester, Manning, Mummel, Nowendoc and Rowley Rivers as well as Bobin, Caparra, Dingo and Myall creeks.

Habitat and ecology

Habitat preference is for relatively shallow, clear, continuously fast-flowing rivers with rocky and sandy substrates (Wells 2002).
Boulder beds in pools 2-3 m deep and submerged logs are used as shelter sites by individuals or small aggregations of turtles (Wells 2002).
The species is predominately diurnal, often seen basking on logs, rocks or the river banks near deep pools, although nocturnal foraging in shallow areas has been observed (Wells 2002).
It is apparently omnivorous (Allanson and Georges 1999; Wells 2002) but lacks the ability to catch fast moving prey, instead foraging on the benthos for less mobile food such as other macro-invertebrates, terrestrial fruit and aquatic vegetation (Allanson and Georges 1999).

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Nest predation by foxes, pigs and other predators resulting in direct loss of nesting turtles, which reduces the number of breeding females and affects population recruitment.
Direct loss through turtle trade and collecting pressure, particularly in accessible parts of the river system.
High rural densities, land clearing, agricultural use, human settlement and recreation have led to changed runoff conditions, excess turbidity and elevated nutrient levels especially following high flow events.Increased sedimentation of deep pools, the removal of log jams and other activities that simplify habitat complexity are likely to have detrimental impacts. Ongoing removal or degradation of riparian vegetation (e.g. through clearing or trampling and grazing by livestock) and changing land use within the catchment may further degrade water quality and reduce the availability of nesting habitat.
Competition and hybridisation with the introduced Emydura macquarii, which have been introduced to the Manning Catchment. Emydura macquarii have a higher reproductive output and similar resource/nesting needs; can hybridise with Myuchelys; and are hosts for parasites, including ringworms and tapeworms.
Artificial barriers to movement (e.g. dams or weirs) and other changes to natural stream flows (e.g. water extraction for irrigation) may increase habitat fragmentation and degradation or directly injure turtles.
Fox predation of nesting females and nests is known to occur to the cogener species Myuchelys bellii.
The abundance of turtles appears to have dramatically declined in recent times. Its total population size is inferred to be moderately low. The distribution of the species is severely fragmented.
Invasive weeds reduce bare ground available for nesting and fibrous roots make digging difficult. Unnatural shading from weeds affects basking areas. Weeds also reduce the abundance and extent of fruit bearing native species that provide foraging resources for the species (e.g., loss of Syzygium spp.).Weeds include small leaved privet, camphor laurel, tobacco, castor oil plant, blackberry, kikuyu, cats claw creeper and Senegal tea.
Overgrazing by cattle results in sedimentation and eutrophication, which impacts water quality and food resources. Tracks and trampling of nesting banks has the potential to destroy nests.
Loss of nesting sites due to dense vegetation growth on sandy gravel beaches as turtles require bare ground that is soft enough for them to dig their nests.
Unauthorised land clearing in riparian zones impacts on the species habitat and recruitment.
Risk of a virus, such as that threatening Bellinger River turtle, being introduced to the catchment and impacting the species viability as it would be hard to isolate any population.
Climate change exacerbates or results in more extreme and frequent events including prolonged drought, higher temperatures, reduced baseline stream flows and less frequent flooding. This results in loss of daytime refugia, longer periods of sediment accumulation, shallowing, disconnection of pools and loss of connectivity of other habitat, decline in native vegetation, and more widespread and intensive fires.
Loss of the extent and number of permanent, suitable depth pools as a result of reduced stream flow and sedimentation, reducing the amount of daytime refugia available for the species.
Poor understanding of the distribution, population size, health and condition of the population.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Undertake broad-scale survey to establish the distributions of M. purvisi and Emydura macquarie
Undertake investigation of interactions between M. purvisi and E. macquarii

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Known	Manning River catchment
NSW North Coast	Barrington	Predicted	Manning River catchment
NSW North Coast	Comboyne Plateau	Known
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known
NSW North Coast	Macleay Hastings	Known
NSW North Coast	Mummel Escarpment	Known	Manning River catchment
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Known	Manning River catchment